Richard Warch

WARCH
Richard "Rik," 74, New Jersey native, former president of Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, died at his home in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin on September 14, 2013.
Rik was born August 4, 1939, in Hackensack, New Jersey, the son of George and Helen Warch. He grew up in Ho-Ho-Kus and graduated from Ridgewood High School in 1957. After earning a bachelor's degree in history from Williams College in 1961, he enrolled at Yale University, where he earned a bachelor of divinity degree in 1964 and a Ph.D. in American studies in 1968. He was ordained a minister in the Presbyterian Church in 1968.
In 1962, he married Margot Moses, a high school classmate and daughter of C. Everett and Margaret Moses of Ridgewood. Rik and Margot served as president and vice president of the student council at Ridgewood High School. At their graduation, each was awarded the Irwin B. Somerville award.
Rik enjoyed a long and distinguished career in higher education beginning at Yale, where he taught history and American studies for nine years. While at Yale, he also directed its National Humanities Institute for two years and spent a year as associate dean of Yale College and director of the Visiting Faculty Program.
In 1977, Rik was named vice president for academic affairs and professor of history at Lawrence University. Two years later, he was selected Lawrence's 14th president, leading the college until his retirement in June 2004. His 25-year presidency is the second longest in Lawrence history. Nearly one-third of Lawrence's 20,000 living alumni graduated during Rik's presidency.
His presidency was marked by zest, style, intellect, wit and warmth. He was a tireless and effective advocate for Lawrence and its particular brand of liberal arts education. He used many of his annual matriculation convocations to articulate the virtues of liberal learning. Those addresses were published as the book, "A Matter of Style: Reflections on Liberal Education" in 2012.
During his 25 years as president he strengthened the university's academic offerings, raised funds to strengthen the endowment, reconstructed the campus (six buildings were constructed during his tenure and major renovations made to several others. He laid the groundwork for a campus center that came to fruition after he retired.
At the request of an anonymous donor, the center was named the Richard and Margot Warch Campus Center in his and Margot's honor.
In 1987, Rik was recognized as one of the country's top 100 college presidents in the Exxon Education Foundation-funded study "The Effective College President."
In retirement he lived in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin, traveling widely with Margot and enjoying extended visits with his children, grandchildren and friends.
He is survived by his wife Margot; his two sons and their families, who live in St. Paul, Minn.: Stephen, his wife Alexandra Klass, and their daughters Helen and Zoe; and David, his wife Sarah, and their daughters Sydney and Georgie; and his daughter Karin, a Ph.D. candidate who studies and teaches in London, England.
He is also survived by a sister, Linda Fenton, an aunt, Betty Hansen, brothers-in-law Peter Fenton and Bob Moses, sisters-in-law Lois Moses, Marilyn Moses and Marysue Moses and their families.
Online registration and condolences may be offered at
www.caspersonfuneralhome.com